I tried to break everything up on the chart by category so it’s easier to narrow things down, but you have to keep in mind there is a ton of overlap in styling tools. You can have large ceramic tourmaline and small titanium steam as well as just about a thousand other options. The point is, although my table is here for those of you who already have an idea of what you want, there is a small chance you might end up looking at something with a few extra bells and whistles because there is so much overlap. If you’re not sure what different kinds of irons there are, head over to my buying guide so you can get that all sorted out before you start reading the reviews.
Sure, the drugstore flat iron you used on its highest setting back in the day was clunky and had a tendency to fry your hair if you glanced away for more than a second, and okay fine, your mom probably told you that you looked a little “emo” from time to time. Luckily, those days are long gone and hair straighteners have truly come a long way since the days of The Jersey Shore.
This feature is particularly beneficial for users with naturally wavy or curly hair, which can have a tendency to easily snag in hair styling tools. This floating design, combined with the heat sensor, also ensures that your gorgeous curls won’t become permanently damaged just because you decide to straighten things out a bit for an evening or two. After all, those curls are coveted by beauty pros the world over, and you never want to damage them just because of a styling trend!
The LumaBella Keratin Dual Touch has been found to give 50% less breakage, splitting, and damage compared to other straighteners without heat sensor technology! While your hair straightener can’t repair years of damage overnight, this model can help restore the natural shine of your hair and allows you to keep styling by reducing additional damage by up to 50%! This means that it is safe for daily styling.
“This is a badass flat iron. Here’s the skinny: The moment you turn it on, it has a ‘Fragile, Damaged, Healthy’ setting, and it also auto-locks the buttons to keep what temperature you want while doing your hair. It comes with a professional bag for traveling with it. This flat iron is ‘pinky in the air while drinking your tea’ fancy. It is the Ferrari of flat irons, for a girl on a budget wanting a new flat iron. And for my fellow sistas: It works amazingly on African-American hair.”
So, when it comes to hair care, it is no surprise that the healing benefits of infrared technology would make their way into the industry sooner or later! The far infrared technology in the CHI Air Expert Classic Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron leaves your hair looking and feeling smoother and silkier than ever before, while helping to restore your strands to their naturally strong and beautiful thickness.
George sees himself as being addicted to great hair! His experience in working backstage at the Aria and Acra music awards, Mercedes fashion Week and over 6 years in the Loreal fashion week; have left him wanting to create unique and memorable styles on each person who walks through the Moda door. We are happy to have him back at Moda after his time working with Natalie Anna Hair, which he feels has developed his knowledge and skills in balayage and styling.
Weighing just over 1 pound, the BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium Straightening Iron is the lightest hair straightener on our list of the best flat irons! This lightweight design makes it a great choice for users that are constantly on the go, and even when traveling. In fact, this model might make a wonderful “second straightener” for someone that wants to keep their locks looking fine on the road without toting around their heavier at-home hair straightener!
Due in large part to the damage we inflicted on our poor locks during this time, we’ve learned that heat protection isn’t just a luxury: it’s mandatory when it comes to hair straightening. That’s why so many hair straighteners now feature conditioners built right into the plates. We also learned that excess heat can cause permanent damage to hair, so now many flat irons come with automatic turn-off features or self-adjusting heat settings. Well, as the saying goes, there is no progress without a bit of struggle and our hair certainly struggled during the early 2000’s!

Unlike the plain Jane ceramic plates of most hair straighteners, the tourmaline-infused ceramic plates in the CHI Air Expert Classic Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron are designed to keep your hair healthy during styling. Specifically, the tourmaline helps to more evenly distribute the heat during use which, in turn, creates a higher number of negative ions for shinier and healthier looking hair with each use. This reduces the static electricity created, meaning you get a sleeker, smoother style.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this hair straightener/curler. I was looking into buying the new TYME Iron that came out but found this one that was so similar and more than half the price. After seeing some reviews, I trusted it enough to purchase it. Got it in today and curled my hair (WITH my clip-on hair extensions) and it not only curls/straightens SO pretty but leaves hair nice and soft and silky AND therefore made my extensions blend in so so seamlessly. If you're looking for a new straightener/curler, I absolutely recommend!
There are many alternatives if you are looking for hair straighteners. You can use a tool such as a hair straightening or flat iron, you can try chemical perms and straighteners or you can attempt natural methods. Whether you're looking for permanent hair straightening or just want a treatment such as a serum, there are plenty of options for you to choose from at Walgreens.com.
It’s not just poker straight hair that can be achieved with the fantastic range of stylers from ghd, but you can also curl, wave and flick your hair into any desired hairstyle. With a vast range of hair tutorials on the ghd website, as well as online, you will never be short of looks to create. The great thing about ghd straighteners is that you can create almost all styles, with one model of Ghd hair straighteners.
Aside from ionic and infrared technologies the Bio Ionic Onepass Straightening Iron has something that is entirely new to me: silicon covered plates. They get the hair more in order when you’re straightening, save you a lot of time and reduce the amount of heat that you need. This one is great for African American hair, but I already selected the xtava Pro Satin for that because it’s more affordable.
A lot of people don’t know there are tons of ways you can style your hair with a flat iron, and this actually might help you decide what size iron to get. You can curl, wave, straighten, add body, twist and more – just with a flat iron! Your straightener is so versatile you can skip most other styling tools and save money by investing in one that will do all of this for you. I walk you through different options for styling with your flat iron so you get the hairdo you want.
Twist And Curl – The awesome folks at Good Housekeeping couldn’t have put it better than this: curling your hair with a flat iron is like curling ribbon with a pair of scissors. To do this, simply clamp your hair straightener around a piece of hair as you normally would when straightening, except flip the entire tool, so your hair is now wrapped around one of the plates. Holding the tip of your hair for support, simply glide the straightener down the entire length of hair and just like magic, you’ve made a curl!
You're on your way to work with your perfectly styled hair, ready for that big client meeting…and suddenly you're not sure if you remembered to turn off your hair straightener. Cue the mind spiral where you imagine being responsible for your entire apartment building burned to the ground. We admit. it may be a bit dramatic, but it's definitely not a good feeling to start the day with.
* * * Update: After returning the above-described item, I bought a ghd Classic Styler in-person from one of their authorized salon dealers (info at ghd's site). When I went to register the hologram and date codes, the ghd site accepted them on the first try. Also, the second unit I bought HAD country-of-manufacture information on the box and on the date sticker (made in China, which some other comments said isn't legit, that seems to be wrong). My unit labeled made-in-China is the one that registered successfully with ghd. Also my second purchase - from the authorized dealer - had a lot of information printed on the bottom of the box, including a bar code, web info, consumer information phone number, design info and information about the product. The unit I purchased from Amazon had NO printing on the bottom of the otherwise authentic-looking box. Draw your own conclusions. Bottom-line: if you buy a ghd styler here, double and triple-check that your unit is for real.